Trailer



Man-ch 3, 1942. J. w. 'rl-EISEN 2,27" ,754

TRAILER Filed July 22, 1940 s sheets-sheetl March 3, 1942. J. W. THElsENY' 2,274,754

TRAILER Filed July 22, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 "d t l l J. W. THEISENBY k ATTORNE March 3, 1942. J, w, THE'lsEN TRAILER Filed July 22, 192105 Sheets-Sheet 3 los INVENTOR. Else/y Patented Mar. 3, 1942U1.s113241D"w This invention" relates to' improvementsfinf trailers;

The Ageneral object 'of 4theinventioiris -toA pro; videea novel trailerlthatis flow in'height VWhile travelling but providesJ ampleheadiroomlfwhenf.; 5

stationary;

Amore specific object of v the invention isto provide a trailer whereina portion of the orf isin the -usualf position while travelling butwhich may be lowered when stationary. 1U

A #further obj ect 'of the invention-f is to-provides novelmeansfforraising and "lowering aportion of the floor 'of a trailer:

Another lobject of the-linventiorr'is to provide afnovel wheel mounting^particularly adaptable vfor-115v usewithmy'novelftrailn Other objectsand they advantages4 of thein-v ventiony will be apparent' from;l thefollowing; description taken in connectioniwith-thefaccompan-yingdrawings, lwhereinr 20 Figi 1 is a side elevation-:offatrailer. embody.-ing-A the features of 'm-yin-venti'on;

Fig. 2 v.is-a top planhview of the. tr'ailer- ;shown., in Fig. 1 withparts broken 'away,;

Figi-3ds a sectional. view1taken.-..on':line G+S, 25

Fig'..'.4 is..a. sectional .view'taken;.onpliney 4+-4, Fig."2;.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged.;fragmentarygsectinnalv viewitaken;onlinezS-E,lFig`..z2.; t,

Fig.:A .6 .1 is .5.a .fragmentary .sectional view taken. on line I-Ii,IFiggs5;

Fign; 7 is an enlarged sectionalview `taken on, line 1 1, Fig-f2;

Figs: 5;-

Fig.- 9.is a. rearview .of thetrailer shown in. Fig.; 1 with partsbrokenaway;

Fig'.Y 10 .is a viewsimilar to 4Fig.2 but showingv a modied form ofoorzraising means;

Figrll is4 an enlarged sectionalyiewtaken on line] I-I I, Fig.410;

Fig. .12 isa sectional .view..taken. on line I 2^-I 2 Fig. 11;

acters have showrrmy` invention as" embodied inferi-improved trailerwhich'f'is indicated gener ally 'gat -'-I 0; A shownin 'FigsrL` 2 and v9ythe trailer I0 may be of the usual outsideappearancebut* by virtue of'my novel construction maybe-con= Siderably. lower in` overall' height"so'ethat'it4 isI 55:`

moreiconvenient in? manyL-waysa: Thev Vtrailer-:I 0; as?showmnclude'sfa: chassisframe .I I a .b'o'dy :por-

tion-112 and al Wheel. assembly :I 3;'

Asl.shown Lthee-frame .I I' "includesl an inner pair of longitudinalmembers I'4 and an outer npair.

I 5 connected .rby1 suitabledorward Acrossl members I 6,1'.anintermed-iate. cros'smember I1 ,if and a. rear cross-member I8..'`

Th-' interiorzofsrthe. trailer preferably includes sleeping-and.A 'otheraccommodations such las inf dicated at VAfin `the-forwardportionandrfurther includes :the usual cupboards, shelves and sinkfacilities indicated at B fabove the-spaces between the twopairsofl'ongitudinal membersfI4 andfli and 'lin :the 'rear 'of 'theintermediate cross member- )I 1." The f space enclosedbyVT the..intermediate cross member I1, the=.rearfcross member I8,fand the kinnerlongitudinal members.' I4 is occupied by a oor .indicatedgenerallyatL20; Assshown in'Fig': 9 the :interior of the 'trailer isaccessible bya rearldoor 2|?. bottoml off =thetrailer .while travellingbut when stationary maybe lowered `"so .that it is then 'fclose 1 to theground 'lthus increasing the 4space y.within the: trailer and#affording-.greater head room'.

Th'eloor 20 .isl preferably inthe form of aitrayl orY box -havingfanfopen' top; As shown' the floor 20`inoludesav bottoml '22; sides 123;aLl-front end 24, and a rear end '25.2' Sur-mounting the upper edges ofthe sides iand ends Ifprovidean outwardly extending flange 2611 whichmay 'be of" angle'iron `asshown1f.in-Fi`g.' 5. Whenvv th'eloor f 20f-isinfthe lloweredposition, the'a'nge -26'fengages the uppersides-ofthelongitudinal mem- I bers I4Jand Ithe rcrossfmembers I1 -and-I8.' The' sides-2351are--engaged by rollers 21 (see Fi-gs.- 5 and 6)which are-shown as '-mountedon brackets 281 rsecured` to the4vlongitudinal 'members v1I 4;! The f rollers 21 mayengage strips2!1"secured-'to'thev sides `V23.

To lift' the floor'i20to `the travellingpositionff awpair of'brackets 30fare'lsecured' Atothe-cross:

members I1 and- I8 betweenthe `longitudinalmembers 1 I4'iand' I 5 atonefsidefof 'the frame: The :cross A'member rI1 may "be -constructedfrom y a number of separate portions secured'betweenthe1ongitudinalmembers as shown; The brackets30 rotatably support a'shaft3| which is adapted to be rotatedfby aremovable crank 32j, A,

pair'of Vspaced an'ged'drums 33 are secured to the-shaft 3| adjacent toends 'of the ooring 20asbyvpins'34.`

A pair 4of 'chains- 35fand 36 are 'secured' to each" oftheu drums '33 asby vpins y31 and are 4adaptedr tobe Weun'd 'thereonwh'en the crank 32'isturned-- The` er 20 iis flush with the-A counterclockwise. The chains 35and 36 extend from the drums 33 over aligned and spaced sprocket wheels38 and 39 which are rotatably mounted on suitable shafts 40 and 4|secured to the cross members I1 and I8 as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. Theends of the chains opposite the pin 31 are secured to the lower end ofthe flooring as by pins 42 as shown in Fig. 7.

When travelling the ooring 20 is in the raised position shown by brokenlines in Figs. and 9 and when parked the oor may be lowered by turningthe crank 32 in a clockwise direction allowing the chains 35 and 36 tounwind from the K f drums 33 and roll over the sprocket wheels 38 or 39.By turning the crank in a counter clockwise direction the floor may besimilarly raised.

In order to hold the floor 20 in the raised posiwhich are adapted to bealigned with a 'threaded aperture 41 in the adjacent bracket 30. 'AAbolt 48 is provided which threadedly engages the aperture 41.

In operation the crank 32 is rotated until the floor 20 is at thedesired height, whereupon the bolt 48 is inserted in the aperture 48which is nearest to being aligned with the threaded aperture 41. Thecrank is then turned until the bolt is aligned and secured in theaperture 41.

The wheel assemblies I3 each includes a rectangular frame 50 havingreinforcing cross inembers 5I and aligned bushings 52 in the forwardedge thereof. The longitudinal members I4 and I5 include alignedbushings 53 arranged at the forward edge of the wheel assembly I3. Thebushings 52 and 53 are aligned and receive a shaft 54 which pivotallysupports the frame 50.

An axle 55 is secured to the frame 50 at the rear edge thereof as bybrackets 58 and extends outwardly therefrom to support suitable wheels51. Each of the wheel assemblies includes a spring arrangementcomprising a channel member 58 having front and rear downwardly eX-tending portions 59 and 60 secured to the longitudinal member I5adjacent each wheel 51.- The channel member further includes an upperportion 6I parallel to the frame Il I.

A leafspring 62 is secured to each axle 55 in alignment with the channelmember 58 as b y U- bolts 63 (see Fig. 3). The leafr springs 52 curveupwardly and include downwardly bent end portions 64 which are adaptedto engage and slide on the portion 5| ofthe channel member 58.

In Figs. 10 to 14 I have shown a modification of my invention whereinsimilar parts are indicated by similarly primed reference characters.The modification includes a frame II', body I2', wheel assemblies I3',longitudinal members I4' and I5 and cross members I1 and I8. Themodication further includes a oor 20 having a bottom 22 sides 23",frontand rear ends 24 and 25 and lan outwardly extendingflangej 28surmounting kthe upper edges of the sides and ends thereof. y

To raise and lower the floor 20' I provide a plurality ofspacedhydraulic jacks 10 adapted to be operated by a hydrauilc pump 1I.

The hydraulic jacks 10 include a tube 'I2 which is welded or otherwisesecured in'alignment with an aperture 13 in the flange 26. The tube 12being provided with a closed upper end. 14. A second tube is welded orotherwise secured in an aperture 16 in the longitudinal member I4' whichis in turn aligned with the aperture 13.

The tube 15 is slidably positioned within the tube 12 and receives aplunger 11.

The plunger 'I1 is connected to a plunger rod 'i8 which is in turnsecured to the upper end 14 of the tube i2 as by welding or the like.The lower end of the tube 15 of the jacks 10 is connected to one end ofa conduit 19. The other end of the conduit 19 is threadedly secured in athreaded aperture in a pump block 8| which is integral with an oilreservoir 82 which is in turnl secured to the cross member vI8'. Thereservoir 82 has an open end 83 which is closed kby a closure 84 securedin place as by screws 85.

The pump block 8| is provided with a bore 88 Vwhich communicates withthe conduit 19 and ,includes a reduced portion 81 which forms a valveseat 88'tfor a valve ball 89. Beyond the reduced` portion 81 a conduit90 communicates with-the lower end of a cylinder 9| in which a plunger92 is adapted to operate. The plunger 92'is securedto a rod 93 whichextends upwardly through an apertured closure member 94. `The rod 93 islsecured intermediate the length of a rocker arm 95.' One end of therocker arm is provided with a handle 9Band the other end is pivoted asat 91 to a link 98 which is in turn pivoted as at |00 to the upper sideof the reservoir 82. Y

The lower end of the vcylinder includes a chamber I0| whichl has areduced portion |02 to providea valve seat.l03 which receives a valveball |04. The reduced portion |02 communicates with the interior of thereservoir 82. The movement of the balls 89 and v|04 isllimited by pins|05 and |06 in the pump block.

The interior of the chamber 86 also communi` In operation the valve-|09is opened allowing.

the oil to ow from the jacks 10 back into the reservoir 82 through theconduits |08 and ||2 thus lowering the oor 20. This action can bestopped at any time by closing the valve |09. To-

raise the floor 20 to travelling position, the valve |09 is closed andthe handle 9B reciprocate'd actuating the piston 92 and causing the oilto be pumped from the reservoir 82 past the valve balls |04 and89 in thechambers |0| and 86' and thus through the conduits 19 to the jacks'10.-A

From the foregoing description itwill bey apparent that I have inventeda novel trailerwhich may be economically manufactured and which ishighly efcient for its intended. purpose.

Having thus described my invention I claim: In a trailer, a chassisframe including; a pair of inner longitudinal members and a pair ofAouter longitudinal members, said frame further including a forwardcross member, an intermediate cross member,y and a lrear cross member, alsingle floor member'disposed between said inner pairlof longitudinalmembers and Y said intermediate' cross member and said rearfcrossmember, means to mount said .ioor member' for vertical movement betweensaid longitudinal members and A valve |09 threadedly en-A said crossmembers, said oor member comprising an open topped, rectangular, boxhaving a bottom with parallel rigid sides and parallel ends thereon,said box sides and ends including outwardly directed flange portionsengageable with said inner longitudinal members and said intermediateand rear cross members when said floor is in a lower position, guidingmeans disposed on said longitudinal members and engaging the sides ofsaid floor member, a shaft mounted adjacent l0 one of said innerlongitudinal members and extending from said intermediate cross memberto said rear cross member and having a drum secured thereto adjacenteach end, a pair of cables secured to each drum, means to secure each ofsaid cables to a corner of said floor member, guide means engaging saidcables and means to rotate said shaft, rotation of said shaft causingvertical movement of said floor member.

JACOB W. THEISEN.

